And today’s good news in the Lismore area is that there are no new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in residents of Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD). 

NNSWLHD acting chief executive Lynne Weir said the only news of note is that contact tracing investigations have resulted in additional information for the recent Covid contact location at the BP Travel Centre on the Bruxner Highway in West Ballina.

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“Any person who attended this location on Friday 20 August between 5am and 5.35am, or 8am to 8.30am must immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received,” she said.

“If you are directed to get tested for COVID-19 or self-isolate at any time, you must follow the rules, whether or not the venue or exposure setting is listed on the NSW Health website.”

To find your nearest testing clinic, visit https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/how-to protect-yourself-and-others/clinics or contact your GP. 

Sewage testing  

Ms Weir said that further sewage samples taken from the Ballina treatment plant on August 19 and Byron Bay treatment plant on Saturday August 21, have not detected any fragments.  

“There have not been any further detections among the 17 sites currently being tested between Grafton and Tweed Heads as part of the NSW COVID-19 sewage surveillance program across the state,” she said.

“Samples are usually collected weekly and more frequently if there is a positive detection. 

“Sewage surveillance can provide an important early-warning sign of potential COVID 19 infections.  

“We treat positive wastewater detections seriously as they could indicate there are positive cases in the community who have not been tested.

“Detections can also be due to shedding of the virus by someone who may have previously had the illness and may no longer be infectious, or from someone who has since left the area.”